Chapter 05: The Dance of Butterflies and the Flight of Flowers, At First Glance, the Heart is as Clear as Snow

While lost in thought, I suddenly heard the melancholic voice asking: "What is it that you do?"

His eyes immediately lit up, and he thought to himself: "Ah! This porcelain cup, crystal clear and translucent, could it be made of white porcelain? It is simply the legendary crystal glass cup!"

It is now spring, with flowers and grass flourishing. In the Miaoxiang Garden, a hundred flowers are in full bloom, creating a delightful contrast with the white walls and black tiles.

Although the face is not clearly visible, the figure's posture is already incredibly graceful. Standing amidst the flying blossoms, it resembles a white cloud descending to the earth, or like a celestial fairy descending from the heavens, surrounded by swirling clouds and radiant hues. The scene is truly dreamlike and ethereal, exceptionally beautiful

Feeling? Yun Fan Hai was taken aback and said, "I feel a bit nauseous"

"It doesn't matter, if you don't understand it at first, with more practice you will get it," said Yu Chou patiently

Yun Fan Hai listened, and Mu Mu stared blankly in the direction he pointed to

What? Yun Fan Hai was taken aback.

In the bright spring light, the clouds are rolling over the sea, where the peach blossom grove is blooming with pink flowers, resplendent like the rosy clouds.

Strictly speaking, Yun Fan Hai's knowledge is rather limited. After all, he is merely the lord of a remote mountain village, bearing an unlawful identity; how far can he go? Therefore, although he hails from the wilderness, he has never encountered a peach blossom of this magnitude.

However, as you know, I am just a simple person from the countryside, and I do not understand the meaning of these words. Therefore, I wonder if I could trouble you, esteemed sir, to explain them to me

I am nothing more than a mountain worker and a forest ranger" Yun Fan Hai replied nonchalantly

The peach blossom forest in the southern suburbs of Donghua City unfolds before the young people of this mountainous region on this spring day, spreading endlessly and boundlessly.

Even though Yun Fan Hai had not seen much of the world, he had encountered quite a number of wandering heroes from the south and north. Therefore, after taking a look around, he understood that the furnishings of the Divine Hero Manor were of a very high standard

"Huh?" Yun was both surprised and delighted, thinking to himself, "Could it be that Director Yu has finally come to his senses and wants to gift me two precious porcelain cups?"

Upon looking around, one discovers that this Divine Hero Manor is serene, elegant, and tidy; the courtyard resembles a grand garden, while the interior resembles a study even more.

Upon hearing these words, Yu Chou found himself momentarily lost in thought, feeling a sense of tranquility.

I asked you, "When you are somewhat lost in thought, a gentle and melancholic voice arises in front of you, 'If you, as a chivalrous hero, have done righteous deeds, and the beneficiaries among the people praise you, how should you respond?'"

Originally, visiting the residence of the Divine Hero would be a dream opportunity for an ordinary person, but unfortunately, Yun Fan Hai, the leader of the Yun clan, does not qualify as an ordinary person

This marks the first round of the covert confrontation between Yun Fan Hai and Yu Chou Gui, resulting in the defeat of our chief of Feiyun Mountain.

Haha! Seeing him like this, Yun Fan Hai burst into laughter, "The mountain opener and the forest protector, aren't they just saying 'This mountain I opened, this tree I planted'?"

Hmm? The sea monster of the cloud said, "Did you not tell me to practice more?"

Chief Yu, are you about to send—" Before Yun Fan Hai could finish speaking, Yu Chou Gui interrupted him, saying: "Now, you are holding this teacup, throw it to the ground.

I understand! After a moment of daze, he suddenly seemed to awaken from a dream and turned to Yu Chou Gui, saying, "You must be training me today to protect weak women!"

By chance, I caught sight of a rockery, and my heart stirred as I gazed at the clouds rolling over the sea. Suddenly, I found myself reminiscing about the remote Feiyun Mountain wilderness.

After saying this, Yu Chou nodded slightly as the morning clouds turned over the sea, then turned around and gracefully departed amidst the blooming flowers and flowing waters

In the midst of the butterfly dance and flower flight, as the clouds rolled over the sea, I suddenly saw a young maiden, dressed in a snow-white and pink skirt, standing with her back to me

The afterglow of the setting sun, bright red and gentle, paints the flowers, grass, and pavilions in the garden with a layer of vivid crimson color

Miaoxiang Garden covers a vast area, and its architecture reflects the style of the water towns in the Jiangnan region of China, featuring pink walls, dark tiles, and stone-paved paths, exuding a sense of tranquility and serenity

The usually carefree leader of Feiyun Mountain Village suddenly found himself drenched in sweat, feeling as though his greatest fear, a nightmare he had long dreaded, had finally come to pass: he had been ambushed by the authorities, surrounded, and trapped

Seeing him standing there speechless, with a melancholic expression turning into a smile, he pointed ahead and said: "Look, the person I am bringing you to meet today is right there"

Several leaps stirred a cascade of falling blossoms, and the clouds rolled over the sea, quickly arriving behind the woman in the snow-white attire

This layout of the front courtyard and back yard is quite similar to that of many official residences and government offices nowadays. Therefore, in the minds of the common people in Donghua City, there is no distinction between the Divine Hero Guard and the Divine Hero Mansion, and they are often referred to interchangeably, either one is acceptable

Here, over 1,000 peach trees are flourishing, with various species, blooming in a multitude of colors during the spring.

There are still areas for improvement. Yu Chou returned and suddenly opened his eyes, saying seriously, "The posture of dropping the cup just now seemed fine at first glance, but there are still details that warrant discussion."

Upon arriving at the front hall of the Divine Hero Manor, Yun Fan Hai's gaze immediately fell upon the tea set on the master's desk.

In the past, he could not quite understand those peers who fiercely opposed the authorities, but now, he has begun to understand.

Well, anyway, I know he wouldn't dare to capture me. I am aware of their illegal activities of trying to use someone to impersonate the Divine Hero.

He immediately stepped forward with lightning speed, swiftly yet cautiously grasping the white porcelain cup

As the shadows lengthened in the west and dusk approached, the melancholy returned, bringing the clouds and seaweed to the back garden of the Divine Hero Manor

During the visit, he felt an intense inner conflict and pain: "Oh dear, a five-hundred-year-old ancient vase—sigh! I cannot take it with me; what? An eight-hundred-year-old ancient painting? Sigh, I can only look at it..."

"How dare my subordinate treat the esteemed Sir Shenxia as a fool?" At this moment, Yu Chou Gui had already begun to address Yun Fan Hai as Sir Shenxia with every utterance.

For example, the speed of raising the arm should start slowly and then accelerate; just before the cup is thrown, it should also be lifted gently upwards, and then similarly thrown downwards with a gradual increase in speed, so that there is impact and a sense of rhythm

Heavens! The government is indeed too corrupt!

Oh... I understand. Yun turned her eyes in exasperation, mimicking the demeanor of Yu Chou Gui, and pretended to be profound, uttering the words "The affairs of the world are like ice, yet the soul burns eternally"

Having said that, he turned his head, looking around in all directions, and kept shouting: "Where are the hooligans? Where is the pervert?"

In fact, a single peach blossom has its own charm, but it is ultimately rather sparse; the truly admirable peach trees must be clustered together in the thousands, with flowers of five colors blooming, competing in beauty, and shining like clouds at dawn, only then can it be considered a truly magnificent and captivating sight

Ah, I finally understand now, Yun Fan Hai thought to himself, why the Light God Hero receives such good treatment; it turns out one has to do such exhausting and annoying things! No wonder, if the pay isn't a bit more, who would be willing to do it!

You have misunderstood, "Yuchou took the porcelain cup from his hand and said, 'On this tea table, my lord, there are both treasures and fakes among those porcelain items.'"

"Not bad, not bad," Yu Chou clapped and praised, "I didn't expect you to be not completely useless; when it comes to breaking cups, it seems you have learned it without a teacher."

Upon thinking of this, he quickly sought to fill the silence by saying: "Lord Yu, what do you mean by 'the affairs of the world are like ice, yet the heart and soul burn eternally'? Although it sounds a bit awkward, I must say, it does have a certain uniqueness to it."

Ah! Lord Yu, you truly have a talent for theatrics, bringing in such a well-proportioned girl to play the role!

"Discounted cash flow?" Yun Fan Hai replied casually.

"Indeed, it is time to train you on how to express anger by smashing a teacup," said Yu Chou, maintaining a calm demeanor.

The cloud transforms into the sea, which could be considered a flawless strategy; however, unexpectedly, he then heard a faint return of melancholy, merely uttering a soft "oh," and there was no further elaboration.

For instance, the antique furnishings in each room, while undoubtedly appearing to be of considerable value, predominantly exhibit a fresh and simple style, far removed from the ostentatious displays of wealth often found in the homes of the newly rich, where silk and satin are piled everywhere, and even the doors of the latrines seem to be adorned with gold and wrapped in silver

What? Yun Fan Hai thought there was something wrong with his ears and that he had misheard.

Aside from the trivial formalities that he looked down upon, in the afternoon, Yu Chou personally took him to visit the Divine Hero Mansion

Bastard! Yun Fan Hai cursed loudly in his heart, then helpless and heartbroken, he raised the rare white porcelain cup that shone with a crystal light and smashed it to the ground with a sharp "crack".

Uh! Yu Chou moved his lips, just about to speak, but was interrupted by Yun Fan Hai: "Lord Yu, you need not say anything, I understand! It’s all scripted; this is the scene of a heroic figure saving women and children—sorry, but I am most familiar with this play! Back in the day, I often took in those poor women with tragic backgrounds."

As soon as it was picked up, one could hear the melancholic voice calling out: "Put it down!"

While laughing heartily, Yun Fan Hai secretly sighed: "Alas! This job always feels rather unstable; I will test him to see if he knows I am a mountain bandit, and whether he would then dismiss and expel me."

"You learn quite quickly." Seeing him looking quite impressive, Yu Chou Gui could hardly contain his praise, saying, "I did not expect that your crude words and actions would allow you to learn the oaths of the Divine Hero even faster than I had imagined."

Oh? Upon seeing the cloud, Yun Fan Hai was astonished and quickly looked up at the sky. "What is there in the sky? Oh... there really is a cloud stretching out like a turtle... Ah! So you are indeed the 'Enemy Turtle'!

Alright. Yun Fan Hai's heart was bleeding, and he went to the desk, casually picking up a porcelain cup.

In the Miaoxiang Garden, a hundred flowers compete in beauty, but the most abundant are still the peach trees

In the tense atmosphere, Yun Fan Hai suddenly realized that the person before him was theoretically still his boss, so he dared not offend him too much

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the melancholic voice say: "Sir Divine Hero, please pick up the porcelain cup on the table"

Wrong! With a melancholic heart, I hold the folding fan in my hand, immediately turning my body and raising my head, gazing obliquely at the sky, my eyes bright and focused, remaining silent for a long while

After only shouting two or three times, the diligent leader of Feiyun Mountain suddenly felt a chilling aura, accompanied by a piercing shriek, rapidly approaching the back of his neck

Well, this is largely thanks to your good looks; with such superficial charm, you certainly cannot be too bad. By the way, how do you feel about saying this?

This time, it is the turn of melancholy to fall silent.

The residence of the divine hero is located at the rear of the entire divine hero garrison, equivalent to its backyard, but it occupies a vast area

After saying this, he closed his eyes

The Grand Steward of the Divine Hero, Yu Chougui, lightly waved a folding fan in his hand and walked at a leisurely pace towards the pond in the center of the garden

Just now, the one you dropped for the first time was merely a counterfeit; what you are holding now is the Snow Feather Porcelain produced in the Western Lingzhou of Shenzhou, worth a hundred taels of silver. You must not drop it, otherwise, it will be deducted in one go from your reward of eight hundred taels.

For instance, the melancholy before us is simply a pitfall that could cost one their life without compensation; what is particularly detestable is that in order to seek revenge with eight hundred taels, one must collect it in installments; yet now, breaking a single cup results in an immediate deduction of the entire amount!

"Nonsense." Yun Fan Hai could no longer hold back and said bluntly, "What’s so difficult about breaking a cup? Do we still need training for this? Manager Yu, please do not take me for a fool!"

After several days of training like this, on this day, Yu Chou Gui suddenly said to Yun Fan Hai: "Master Shen Xia, after several days of diligent training, it has already become quite similar, even the voice is very much alike. Since there is nothing to do today, I will take you to meet someone."

"Who?" Yun Fan Hai immediately asked with vigilance, "Who do you want to see? Is it the officials, soldiers, or dignitaries?"

Thus, for more than half an hour thereafter, he spent his time in a cold sweat. However, his ability to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit porcelain unexpectedly advanced by leaps and bounds

At this point, before Yu Chou could react, Yun Fan Hai had already darted out like lightning.

After a long silence, as the clouds and waves grew impatient from waiting, he suddenly spoke in a soft voice: "You should know: flowers must eventually wither; leaves must inevitably fall; time is always passing; candlelight will ultimately extinguish. We, the spirits of heaven and earth, can only persevere with our hearts and souls, like an everlasting flame, to shine eternally in this world."

The atmosphere in the backyard is somewhat awkward

Hmm? Yu Chou was taken aback by the words, momentarily unable to respond

Just as I caught a glimpse, a gentle breeze happened to blow, causing the petals to dance in the air, falling like a flurry of blossoms. Among them, colorful butterflies fluttered gracefully, making it difficult to discern where the flowers fell and where the butterflies danced.

The place where melancholy returns, drifting like clouds over the sea, is a flower garden located in the southern suburbs of Donghua City, named "Miaoxiang Garden"

Faced with such a dreamlike and beautiful scene, Yun Fan Hai was almost mesmerized.

Young lady!" He placed his hands on his hips and shouted, "This divine hero knows that you were just forcefully teased and repeatedly assaulted by a rogue, a truly horrific situation. However, do not worry, for today, with me, the radiant divine hero, not only will I protect you completely, but I will also seek justice for you!

Is he tired? Yun Fan Hai questioned doubtfully

Just as I was about to say this, Yu Chou Gui suddenly spoke up, his voice incredibly deep and resonant: "You should, like me, turn sideways and look up at the sky, then take a deep breath and say, 'The affairs of the world are like ice, but the heart and soul burn eternally!'"

"You will know when you see it." Yu Chou returned a mysterious smile and said no more

As Yun Fan Hai walked, he saw a rockery by the pond, surrounded by lush vegetation, which appeared to be intricately shaped in the glow of the setting sun

At this moment, one might never have imagined that the cloud and sea, which had been uncooperative during the training just now, have actually seen a significant increase in inner strength and endurance.

Upon seeing this young girl, Yun Fan Hai could not help but swallow hard.